At its peak, Pokemon GO took the gaming world by storm. The game that was born out of the partnership between The Pokemon Company and Niantic became an instant hit! Mainly since it offered something that was never seen before. That is the chance to truly travel and search for Pokemons that appear on your screen.
The big question these days is if Pokemon GO is still as relevant as it was during its prime. You’d see people congregating in random places which didn’t seem important enough, but now those people are gone. Are they? Here’s what’s actually happening since GO’s supposed hey-days.
Peak Pokemon – Discoveries Abound
When it launched, fans suddenly found themselves thrust into the role of their favorite Pokemon trainers. Pokemon GO made fans experience the thrill of successfully capturing Pokemons in the real world through AR technology. Once the Pokemon were captured, players can also select their team based on the stats that the virtual monsters carried.
The First Decline – Will It Rise Up Again?
That joy quickly outlived itself because of how slow the updates were introduced.
It started with the game crashes. The app nuked itself a lot during its early days, mostly because the servers were instantly swamped with players logging in simultaneously. Even if most were coming in from different time zones, it was enough to put so much strain on the server as the player population outmatched what it could handle.
There were also improvements introduced into the game, but to some these were a little too late. A year later from its launch – in 2017 – people were already commenting on the game was on the decline. Some people lost interest because of the lack of improvement. They also argued that the appearance of random problems that were meant to make the game ‘fair’ to everyone – like the rate of appearance of Pokemon for higher-level players -alienated fans further.
The Present Situation – GO Fest and More
For a while, it did seem like Pokemon GO was on the way out, just like other mobile games before it. The updates rolled in the nick of time as people were once again logging back in after a brief hiatus. The updates did what they promised to do in the first place. Gyms started popping up in certain areas and groups also started appearing in the game. The latest update placed Team Rocket and famous henchmen Jesse, James, and Meowth as opponents to beat, aside from other bosses. The game also saw the rise of the GO Fest – a celebration of the game’s achievements and a way for Niantic and The Pokemon Company to give back to its loyal players and fans.
The Future Looks Bright
While the current situation may have caused a hit on GO’s popularity as people are encouraged to stay indoors, the game has taken on a life of its own. It has fans who are willing to take a look at the game and introduce new and old Pokemon trainers to improvements. Returning Pokemon Go players also meant that the game redeemed itself through its dark times.
So What’s Next for Pokemon GO?
As mobile gaming becomes more global, it is expected that GO’s popularity will reach new heights. The thrill and the idea of catching different Pokemon from different places is unique to the game’s make-up. With timely updates still coming in, and events such as the GO Fest, Pokemon GO won’t likely go anywhere.
